Origins of the Past
by Ethereal Wishes
Summary: Beatrice French was rescued at sea when she was just a small child but remembered nothing of her hazy past. She'll soon learn her origins are much deeper than she could've ever imagined. [Merpeople Rumbelle AU] Mantis Menagerie fic for villains-are-better on Tumbr.
1. Chapter 1

Origins

A/AN: This little piece is for my giftee Villans-are-better! I've really enjoyed participating in the Mantis Menagerie gift exchange, and I hope it meets all of your expectations!

Beatrice French felt like her entire existence was nothing more than a meaningless drop in the ocean. She had no idea who she was or where she originated from. She'd been found by a merchant and his crew holding tightly to a piece of driftwood when she was merely six years old. The captain surmised she'd been the lone survivor of a shipwreck and had developed amnesia from the trauma of her accident. She didn't have the faintest idea of who she was in those prior years, but from that day forward, she inherited the last name of the captain who rescued her. Beatrice was the name his wife fancied and bestowed upon her once they returned from their voyage. She had cerulean blue eyes and wavy chestnut locks which cascaded down her back.

The couple doted over her for many years since they'd never been gifted with any children of their own, and she became the inextinguishable light in their lives. She was brought up well and given the best education. Beatrice still wasn't content, no matter how much knowledge she acquired, and thirsted after it, she did. She'd read everything in the merchant's library down to the secret love letters he'd written to his wife in the early years of their courtship when he was away on business, though she would never divulge such a secret.

He brought her new books home from each of his travels, and she wasn't sure why but the ones about the sea and its fantastical creatures intrigued her the most. Merpeople seemed to fascinate her the most. They were whisper of legend, but Beatrice had indulged in many a tale from the passing fisherman who ported in her quaint little fishing village. There were tales of alluring beauties with siren songs leading naive sailors off to their deaths. She found these tales to be more embellished after hearing other stories about merpeople leading a shipwrecked crew to safety. Sometimes she imagined she was one with a tail made of shimmering sapphire scales with the ability to breathe underwater and talk to all of the sea creatures. Every once in awhile, she would dream vividly of swimming with the merpeople, but she accounted it as nothing more than her imagination conjuring up an image she'd immersed herself in as a child.

A few well spun tales didn't sate her desire to learn more about the mysterious merpeople. She found every book and article she could about the subject until her father put a stop to it and demanded she focus more on her studies. Her parents wanted her to go to a university and better herself, but all she really desired was a life at sea.

She journeyed with her father every chance he let her, and Beatrice discovered the more she focused on her studies, the more he let her accompany him. On her seventeenth birthday, her father and mother gifted her with a special trip to Astyn where she would attend the university. They packed all of her possessions and embarked immediately. She could feel their heightened excitement about this trip, though she couldn't fathom why. They'd sailed to many destinations together, but this one felt more like a goodbye than a temporary parting.

For over ten years, she'd resided within their care but tonight the sea would reclaim what was stolen from it. Beatrice French had no idea she was more than a mere drop in the ocean, but fabricated into the very heart of it instead. The winds blew fiercely through their canvas sails, and the waves roared around them. She could hear the waves calling for her, beckoning her to jump within their murky depths.

She became mesmerized with the way they moved back and forth, calling to her like an old friend she'd long forgotten. The urge to plunge herself within their darkened depths was overwhelming, but the moment she tried, her father pulled her back harshly by the collar of her drenched navy sailor's dress.

"Have you gone mad Beatrice!? The waters will swallow you up, and I won't be able to save you!" he chastised, but his words felt like a mere echo, the sounds of the sea drowning out his voice.

"Go below deck with your mother! You'll be safe there!" he pleaded, but she shook her head before pulling away from him harshly.

"I'm sorry papa, but I cannot go with you. This day marks the anniversary of the night you found me. The ocean credits you for taking great care of me, but now I must return to the place whence I came. My purpose is finished here with you and mother, and I'll never forget all you've done for me, but somewhere out there, someone is waiting to tell me who I really am, and I must go," she replied before lunging into the stormy oceanic depths. She could hear his cries for her, a distant echo in the howling wind as she submerged herself into the water. Thick black darkness wrapped its tendrils around her as she welcomed the rush of burning salt water in her nostrils.

She was a mad woman and assumed she was drowning in the moment of her hasty decision, but she felt the darkness dissipate when two sinewy arms wrapped themselves securely around her. The saltwater didn't burn her lungs like she imagined, and the air tasted wild around her as her senses were awakened. She allowed her eyes to drift shut as her savior carried her to shore, and she let go of everything.

She half expected to wake up in some heavenly afterlife her minister preached so passionately about, but instead she felt warm sand beneath her with the soft cries of seagulls overhead. She opened her eyes hazily to feel brilliant warm sunlight caressing her skin.

She shielded her eyes from the blinding sunlight and groaned once she attempted to move her ligaments, but something wasn't quite right when she attempted to bend her knees. She managed to push up with her arms and stare down at her absent appendages. She gasped when she noticed a tail embroidered with sapphire scales reflecting jewel tones in the sunlight. She gazed down at her breasts in horror after she realized they were merely hidden by a thin piece of cerulean silk fashioned into a makeshift brassiere. She attempted to cover them with her hands, but she fell backwards clumsily. she noted she needed her arms to prop herself up.

Was this some kind of twisted reality she'd fallen into? A few hours ago she'd been standing on her father's ship, and now she had fins. Shards of memories she struggled to piece together fell away as quickly as she managed to string two together, leaving her head reeling in pain. She decided instead to scan the shoreline for any other signs of life and sighed when she saw no one. The water advanced and receded against the shoreline, giving her a bright idea.

She had no idea who she was, but sitting on a beach and contemplating about it wasn't going to give her any answers, so she decided to search for answers out in the oceanic depths. She could feel the waves calling her home as she began to scoot across the sand and towards the water. She was mere feet away from the salty waves until she felt a gentle arm wrap around her waist and pull her away from the water's edge.

"Let me go!" She struggled against her captor, but felt her eyes drift shut when he whispered something foreign against the shell of her ear, sending her spiraling into a deep slumber.

She awoke several hours later and groaned as she rubbed her head in agony. She scanned the room hazily, absorbing her surroundings, becoming aware of the fact she was in a cave and lying on a makeshift cot of what felt like seal skin. She gazed down at her wrinkled and damp sailor's dress and sighed despondently. The sapphire mermaid tail she'd acquired earlier was gone. Perhaps it had all been a dream, but it had felt too real to be such. She knew she hadn't dreamed it, and for a few brief moments, she really had been a mermaid.

She sat up on the cot and gazed around the cave. Murals and an ancient tongue she'd never seen before decorated the walls. She swung her legs over the side of the cot and decided she wasn't staying here any longer. She was going to find a way out of here and demand her captor reveal to her how to transform herself back into a mermaid again. There were no answers here, and she would make him realize that. He had no right to keep her here, and she wasn't about to become his prisoner. She frantically searched for a way out, but was met with disappointment after discovering the only way out was a large hole in the floor filled with water. She gulped back the bile in her throat as she stared down into the darkness. She was an excellent swimmer, but she had no idea how deep the cavern was or what lurked below. She shuddered at the thought of what fearsome creatures dwelt amongst the blackness and would gobble her up in an instant.

She retreated glumly back to the cot and figured it would be best to wait on who lived in this grotto to return. She licked the sea salt from her lips as she allowed her eyes to wander over the mysterious cave paintings. She studied the unfamiliar images and dialect, hoping to unlock some clue about this place. She focused her eyes on the images, and she wasn't sure if she'd gone mad as the pictures began to move.

A mural of three mermen with tritons lunging towards a sea monster resulted in cries of death from the mermen as it devoured them. The spears didn't pierce its obsidian tentacles but broke in thousands of pieces as soon as their sharp edges met its calloused skin. The paintings became more lifelike and felt more like one of those moving picture shows she and her parents had watched at a theater one time. The creature stared at her with its single cloudy jaundiced eye, reaching for her with one of its many appendages. She was too paralyzed with fear to move until the image became distorted, as if someone was pulling her away from the fearsome beast. It glared angrily at her as she was pulled away by some unseen force from its tangled web of adversity.

She gasped loudly as her eyes fixated on a man with unruly brown gray colored hair and sable eyes. His hands were placed securely on her shoulders, and she could feel raw power radiating from him unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

"Who are you, and where am I?" she managed to speak, but he didn't answer. He only gave her a stern look of disapproval before flourishing his hand towards the cave walls.

"I'm not sure who you are or what you were trying to prove, dearie, but attempting to unravel one of these spells will get you into trouble. The walls of this cavern are enchanted with an ancient magic that is dark and unholy. I only brought you here because I thought you would be safe, because these ancient walls are typically harmless, but I can feel its anger burning against you. Are you some type of enchantress?" he explained and interrogated simultaneously as he raked his eyes over her disheveled appearance.

"I'm certain I owe you no explanation of who I am! The question I have for you is why did you halt me from submerging myself into the water? I woke up with beautiful scales and now I'm back to being human again! I have no explanation for either, but why did you do it?" she demanded angrily, and a small smirk tugged at his lips.

"You should be thanking me for saving your life, dearie … Do you not realize that after you dove blindly into the blackened depths that they would have crushed you? The ocean is full of a vast assortment of cursed beings looking for a pure soul to devour. I was only sparing you from a fate worse than death," he retorted, and she blinked, a look of puzzlement painting her porcelain features.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," she remarked, and he sighed running his nimble fingers through his hair timorously.

"Many centuries ago an evil sea witch named Vershalda arose from the Nebulous Sea, which is infamous for birthing the darkest and deadliest sea monsters around. Vershalda dwelt and ruled the waters and kingdom of the Nebulous after her brother Ecthelion banished her after she tried to usurp his rule of Marinus. She endeavored to turn his kingdom against him before he ostracized her. Ecthelion was foolish for banishing her, because what he didn't realize was the Nebulous consumed the darkness of those who wandered into its hellish depths and turned them into the most fearsome of beasts. Vershalda became one with the Nebulous and completely consumed her brother and his kingdom, fueled by her burning hatred towards him. The waters of the Nebulous widened and it began to consume more hosts. The merpeople scattered to islands and shallow beaches where the Nebulous couldn't reach them. The merpeople cried out to Ursula the sea goddess and begged her to turn them into humans to spare them from the wrath of the Nebulous, and she agreed but she also warned the merpeople not to interbreed with the human race lest the bloodline of the merpeople become tainted and the magic lost. Ursula wanted her people to one day return to their kingdoms, but they refused to listen to her and began intermarrying with the humans and the magic inside of them became distorted. Only one merman heeded Ursula's warning by marrying a mer-princess far out of the reaches of the Nebulous in a quaint kingdom called Nagisa. A few of the merpeople retreated with Triton to Nagisa and remained at peace for many years. Ursula used her remaining power to hold back Nebulous and spare her remanent of followers from being eradicated by the darkness. There's only one small pure bloodline of merpeople left, for the rest have been distorted with human blood. Every few decades or so an offspring will be born with mer-magic and will be able to transform from human to merperson after they discover their abilities. I'm one of few born with the gift and ability to become both, and I've had the good fortune of learning magic to conceal my gift from the Nebulous. If it knew I was a hybrid then it would consume me instantly. You have the ability as well, but you can't just dive into the sea ignorantly without a form of protection," he expounded, and Beatrice felt her mouth gape open from his explanation.

"How about Nagisa? Why haven't you tried to go there?" she quizzed excitedly, hoping to learn more about this arcane city, but he frowned at her query.

"I've been searching for Nagisa for decades, but to no avail. The night you threw yourself overboard, I was returning from a long three month voyage I spent searching for it. Why did you do it?" he inquired, realizing a trivial piece he seemed to have forgotten.

"I felt the strong magnetic pull of the current calling for me, and I couldn't resist the urge any longer and decided to jump. I know it was foolish, but I felt like it could tell me who I was, and I've been searching futilely for answers my entire life. I've always felt drawn to the ocean like it was a long lost relative who could give me all of the answers of my origins," she resolved, and his sable eyes softened in understanding for her quandary.

"Do you remember anything from your past?" he inquired softly before handing her a small cup of steaming liquid. She took a whiff of it and felt her shoulders relax when she realized it was just herbal tea. She placed the steaming cup to her lips and took small sips from it. The warm brew cascaded down her throat, filling her mind with clarity as she began to recount the tale to him.

"Eleven years ago my father and his crew found me clinging helplessly to a piece of driftwood. They rescued me, and he took me home with him, and he and his wife adopted me. I've been in their care ever since, and I haven't been able to remember anything before that day. It's as if my memory was wiped clean or I developed amnesia." She sighed, downing the rest of the warm brew.

He stared at her inquisitively, and she felt a warm blush rise in her cheeks from his calculating gaze, "Tell me something-" he paused searching for a name.

"Beatrice," she supplied, and he nodded before continuing.

"Beatrice, have you ever jumped into the ocean since the day your father found you?" he asked simply, and she attempted to recount a time when she had because she loved the waves and the smell of the salty air, but something had always repelled her about even dipping a single toe into the calm tides which skimmed the beaches.

She grazed the rim of her cup with her fingertips in focused concentration before giving him an answer, "No," she said, dropping her gaze to the stone floor unable to fathom this simple phenomenon she'd never given a single thought to before.

She was startled when he took her hand delicately in his with the most empathetic gaze anyone had ever held for her reflected back in his ocher depths. "Beatrice, I could be wrong, but I don't believe you're a hybrid at all," he said in his thick brogue which made her believe he must be from a distant land on the farthest edge of the world where only a rare handful spoke like him. Her father had been there once and told her they were the wisest and most gifted people he'd ever met.

"How would you surmise I'm not?" she respired heavily, awaiting his answer.

"Because someone placed an enchantment on you years ago to protect you from something or someone. They gave you the ability to be human but your mer-sense has never left. If you had even dipped even your big toe into the salty waters, you would have turned immediately. The moment I caught you in my arms, you had already changed. I pulled you upon the beach and went back to my cove to gather a few resources before returning to you, but you were already headed for the waves. The ocean has a strong pull on you, and I had to put you to sleep to keep you from fighting me. There's a strong desire inside of you to return to a place you've long forgotten I believe. It's been inside of you your entire life ready to explode," he illuminated, and she stared at him a moment before replying.

"Who are you exactly?" she inquired, unable to formulate a response to the overwhelming statements he'd just made.

"Ruailidh," he supplied, and she repeated the name softly, the taste of spicy herbs and rich plums exploded in her mouth when she said his name.

"You may call me Ruail if you wish it though," he offered with a shy smile, and she smiled bravely at him.

"Ruail it is then." She grinned, and he felt heat pool in his belly from the way she said his name, but he quickly cleared his throat dissipating those desires and emotions. She was a young lass, and he was a worn old man, and he was certain they had nothing in common more than their partial origins.

"Where do we go from here?" she quizzed before he offered her his hand.

"We go down there," he stated, gesturing towards the watery hole in the floor with his index finger.

She gulped back the bile in her throat. "I'm sorry but didn't you say there was an entire cursed ocean ready to swallow me up? Are you sure that's wise?" she asked hesitantly, withdrawing her hands to her sides.

"This cave leads back to the island you were on before. There's no danger below." he assured her, and she nodded, taking his outstretched hand, a jolt of electricity surging through her the moment their fingertips brushed against each other.

He lowered himself down into the water, pulling her after him, and she felt the transformation overcome her as her legs melted into the regal sapphire blue tail she was so mesmerized with before. She gasped as she breathed in the fresh water, her gills tingling with delight, and she turned to him and gasped at his golden tail that embodied something King Midas had touched from the ancient legend. Sunlight filtered through the cave from above, and she couldn't help but admire his masculine beauty. She swam towards him, and it felt second nature to her as if she were walking along the shoreline.

"Would you like to swim to the surface?" his voice echoed within the cave walls, and she shook her head, reaching for his other hand, and she felt a strong longing for him like she'd never felt for any other as they joined hands.

She reached out to touch his graying locks, and he became spellbound by her touch. It had him uncharacteristically pulling her against him, their tails intertwining around each other as he reached out to touch her rosy cheeks and brush his lips gently against her petal soft ones. She cradled his face in her hands, deepening the kiss. He threaded his fingers through her unruly chestnut tresses, both unaware of the soft ethereal glow emitting around them.

Ruailidh opened his eyes briefly to see the light. He broke the kiss abruptly before pushing her away, his heart beating a tattoo against his chest. Her eyes were filled with hurt and confusion, and he regretted his decision immediately as she began to swim to the surface without him. He sighed, swimming after her in hopes of explaining himself, but how was he to explain to her about this newly discovered revelation? He barely understood it himself and yet the light had wrapped them in its warm embrace signaling the one thing he never thought possible. He and Beatrice were true love, and that was an enigma the most powerful sorcerer in the vast oceans couldn't even wrap his mind around.

Beatrice took a deep filling breath once she reached the surface and pushed herself upon a flat rock to bask in the now setting sun. She pushed chestnut curls from her eyes, attempting to stifle back the tears threatening to fall in rivulets from her eyes. She wasn't sure what possessed her to kiss him,8 nor was she about to him it was her first kiss. Several suitors had vied for her hand back in Avonlea, but she'd never paid them any mind. She'd ultimately assumed she would die an old spinster someday - after traveling the world of course - but here she was, kissing a merman she'd only just met. She didn't even know if she could trust him or not, but the wave of emotions coursing through her left her in a daze.

She stared down at him, and he was looking up at her. He rested his arms against a flat rock while his majestic tail was submerged in the water. She blushed at the thought of finding his tail appealing, but she assumed it was just the same as a woman finding a man's backside alluring, and she couldn't help but blush even deeper as a slew of thoughts she normally didn't think on entered her mind.

"What are you staring at?" she inquired, locking her gaze with his.

"The most beautiful specimen in all of the seas," he answered, and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks from his compliment.

"Why did you kiss me?" she asked daringly while running her fingers through her salt water tresses to alleviate the tension racing in her mind.

"Because I wanted to," he answered simply, but it didn't satisfy her, so she continued to press him for answers.

"Then why did you pull away?" she demanded, and he could sense the agitation in her tone.

"Because I'm a fool … Beatrice, I'm sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me," he apologized, and she averted her gaze towards the vast waters, the tension thickening in the air as the uneasy silence between them continued.

"Bea, I-" but she cut him off with the flourish of her hand as she submerged herself back into the water.

"I forgive you, Ruail," she replied, kissing him on the cheek lightly. He stared in disbelief as he watched her submerge herself back into the water, her sapphire fins bidding him farewell as she returned to the cove. He stared out towards the endless blue depths wondering what had changed her mind before following after her.

~X~

In the weeks that followed, Ruailidh showed her the wonders of the cove and island, and every afternoon, they would sit on the flat rock together and discuss mundane things like what her life was like back in Avonlea and how she wanted to study and become a philosopher. Sometimes she would trail off, and he would catch her gazing out towards the ocean, and he knew she longed to explore it, but he was afraid of the Nebulous and what it might try to do to her. Merpeople who wandered away from their havens were consumed by it and turned into loathsome beasts who lured unsuspecting sailors to their deaths. He couldn't let that happen to Beatrice. He wanted to tell her about the light. If he did, then she would bind herself to him, and he wouldn't have to worry about her ever wanting to leave again, but he knew it would be selfish of him, so he kept it to himself.

One night they were curled up together on the seal skin cot, and she was spooned comfortably against him. She liked to take on her human form while they slept together at night. He'd fashioned a special cuff for her to wear out of magic to give her legs anytime she wanted and some homespun dresses for her out of a bit of thread he'd kept from his past trade of spinning to keep her warm. He loved to bury his face in her downy locks and inhale the fresh scent of sea salt and a fragrance that was all her own.

"I want to go to Nagisa." she whispered within the darkness of the cove, and he tightened his grip around her waist from her admittance, afraid the Nebulous would swallow her up and steal her away from him for her confession.

"Beatrice … We can't just go to Nagisa at will. It's hidden and I-" but she cut him off with her next confession leaving uncertainty and fear churning in his gut.

"I know where it is … I've been there before," she revealed, and he felt like he wasn't talking to Beatrice but a mysterious entity who'd stolen her voice.

"How do you know?" he swallowed back the bile in his throat as he forced the question.

"I remembered something from my past about it, and I know the ocean wants to take us there. We just have to be brave and follow its guidance. It wants to gather the hybrids and all of the merpeople remaining in its lineage unto itself. Nagisa is the heart of the ocean and the only place that will keep us safe from the Nebulous," she explained as if she'd known this revelation her entire life and was just waiting to remember.

"The Nebulous is powerful, Bea … It could overtake us in an instant," he rationalized wanting her to forget all about journeying to Nagisa and to be satisfied with living together on their little island, secure in the shelter of the cove and untouched by the darkness.

"We must make the journey home if we ever want to be free of the clutches of the darkness. You have to believe in me and in us," she returned as she turned to face him. She tangled her legs around his just how they often did with their fins and kissed him with all her might. He moaned into her mouth, wrapping his arms securely around her thin frame and allowed himself to believe for once. The golden light transfigured in the room, burning away all of the dark spells interwoven into the walls for centuries with its raw power. Many miles away the Nebulous felt the igniting power of their true love and sought out to destroy it because nothing that pure could be allowed to exist. It must be extinguished because the darkness knew a love as strong as theirs could easily snuff it out and free the oceans of its tyranny.

"Ruail, what is that bright light?" she inquired, shielding her eyes from its brilliance.

"It's the power of our true love," he replied breathlessly, and she kissed him again without making another sound as she ran her hands agitatedly over his silk shirt, longing to feel bare skin. He seized her wrists and stared deep into her cerulean depths searching for affirmation, her eyes reflecting a desire no one had ever held before for him.

Tonight his mermaid wanted to consummate their relationship, and after it was complete, they would be bound to each other. He wanted to give in to his carnal desires and mark her as his own, but he couldn't. When two merpeople mated, they created an unbreakable soul tie. He couldn't selfishly bind Beatrice to himself when she wanted to travel to Nagisa. He would protect her at all costs, but intertwining their souls meant if anything happened to him, she would also feel the blunt of it and may even die. He couldn't allow it.

He wet his lips hesitantly and sighed, brushing his fingers gently over her captive wrists, "Bea … I want this more than anything, but consummating our relationship means you'll be bound to me forever. If anything happens to me, then you wouldn't be able to journey to Nagisa. Mating creates an unbreakable soul tie between two merpeople not only physically but spiritually and emotionally as well. It would literally intertwine our fates and if anything happened to either one of us, the other would feel it or lose their life. I want you to succeed in your quest to Nagisa, so I aim to go with you and offer my assistance and protection. If we are successful and you still want this, then so do I," he explained warily, and she nodded in understanding. She freed one of her wrists from his grasp, and reached up to cup his face with it, brushing her delicate fingertips along his jawline, sending shivers up his spine.

"I'll still want you, Ruailidh..." she whispered huskily, and the way she drew out his name in her thick accent made him shudder. He needed to get them out of this compromising situation before he gave into his fleshly desires and continued the ritual.

"When do you wish to journey to Nagisa?" he inquired to the beauty who he still couldn't believe wanted to bind herself to him eternally and become his mate.

"Let's go in the morning." She yawned, curling up against his side. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, relishing the warmth her body emitted. He closed his eyes, yearning for sleep but it was futile because all he could contemplate on was the precarious odyssey ahead and all of the pitfalls it promised.


	2. Chapter 2

Early the next morning they arose, and he gathered a few potions together and stuffed them in a protective pouch he'd fashioned out of seaweed. One was a concealing potion to keep them out of the Nebulous' sight and any other beasts which might threaten their safety. He also packed an endurance potion to keep them from expending all of their energy on their long journey and a nourishment potion to keep them from having to eat.

They swam through the watery hole in the cave floor and up towards the flat rock, the same one they'd enjoyed spending many a lazy afternoon on to wind down after a tiresome day. Beatrice swam towards the rock, her sapphire scales reflecting shards of blue light in the morning sun.

"What are you doing, Bea?" he inquired, watching her prop herself up on the flat rock.

"There's something up here!" she called back to him as she reached for a conch shell tied neatly on a black cord. She reached for the shell to pick it up and study it but the moment she touched it, she tumbled backwards off the rock with the shell clutched tightly in her grasp.

"Bea!" he shouted as he raced towards her. He caught her in his arms before she hit the water and quickly pulled her onto dry land. She was limp in his arms and unresponsive to his touch as he shook her. He transformed back into his human form, pulling her in his lap to examine her.

"Bea, wake up!" he pleaded, shaking her gently, but she didn't respond. He noticed the shell in her hand, and pried her fingers open to retrieve it. He held it up towards the sun, and he could feel magic radiating from it.

He whispered an incantation under his breath, and the shell began to glow a soft violet. The magic didn't feel evil, but it was still foreign to his senses. The shell held an ancient mer-magic and whoever had left it on the rock intended for her to find it.

He averted his attention back to Beatrice and searched for her pulse. He sighed in relief. Her pulse was strong but she seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber after making contact with the shell. He didn't know what its purpose was, but he assumed its power would wear off shortly, and she would awaken. He knew it would be too much trouble to try and drag her back to the cave room, so he decided to wait instead.

The hours ticked by slowly, and he felt himself begin to drift off until she lurched forward unexpectedly. Her eyes were wide with the color of the bluest oceans reflected in them. She reached for him, and he felt his breath hitch in his throat the moment her fingertips brushed against his arm.

"My name is Belle Muriel … Don't call me Beatrice anymore. It isn't who I am … I know who I am now." She spoke in a tone which made her sound wiser than the most seasoned scholar.

"Belle Muriel … Beauty of the shining seas ..." he spoke her new moniker reverently, a prayer upon his lips.

"The shell was-" he said with revelation, unable to finish his statement, the words dying quickly on his lips like burning embers.

"The shell was preserving all of my lost memories, and Ursula placed it on the rock for me to find. I was sent away to liberate my people from the Nebulous. Nagisa won't be able to thrive until I eradicate the darkness completely. The hybrids and the pure bloods will all reunite in Nagisa one day and live in harmony for the rest of their days just as the prophecy states," she proclaimed boldly as if what she was speaking was common knowledge.

"Belle Muriel … Who are you exactly?" he inquired to the otherworldly beauty who seemed like she was from a distant planet instead of the oceans.

"I'm King Triton and Queen Althea's eighth born daughter. Ursula endowed me with a portion of her magic upon my birth and declared I would be the one who would free the merpeople from their bondage. She sent me to the human world for my protection because the Nebulous can't touch the human realm. I'm not meant to do it alone though. The prophecy also states I would defeat the Nebulous with the help of my true love," she declared, staring ardently into his sable eyes, his knees buckling with the intensity of her gaze. She radiated a kind of power he longed to intertwine with his own magic.

"How can we defeat it … It's too powerful," he objected, and she beckoned for him to draw closer to her. He sauntered towards her, and she reached for the magical cuff in his pouch and placed it on her arm. Her sapphire scales turned back to milky white skin. She stood up taking his unsteady hands in her own.

"True love is the most powerful magic of all, and it's strong enough to defeat the darkness, but we need to complete the binding ritual to strengthen our powers," she informed him, and he pulled back timidly.

"If we bind ourselves to each other, and something happens to me then you'll-" he began, but she placed a delicate finger to his lips before he could finish.

"You have to believe in our true love, Ruailidh. I know together we can conquer the Nebulous and Vershalda. We were born to do it, and I believe it's our destiny to do it together!" she exclaimed, and he grasped her hands tightly in his own.

"I believe in you and in us Belle Muriel and even if I have my doubts about all of this, I trust you, and if you wish to bind yourself to me, then I will happily oblige," he consented, withdrawing a smooth stone knife from his pouch.

"Will you bestow upon me the honor of becoming my wife and my mate Belle Muriel of Nagisa?" he inquired, holding her right hand steadily in his.

"I do, and I swear upon all of the vast oceans to be yours forever." she pledged and he drew the rock across her palm. She winced as a thin red line appeared across her sun kissed skin, and he did the same to his own hand and grabbed hers, intermingling their blood.

"And I swear upon the vast oceans to be mated to you forever, my love, my breath, my life, my Belle," he vowed, and he could feel their magic mincing together into one life force. He kissed his new bride amorously, heightening the strength of their powers, but the ritual wouldn't be complete without the consummation.

The island was deserted, but coupling out in the open seemed uncivilized, so he led the beauty back to the cove where they almost indulged in their desires the previous night. Belle's hair was wild and damp with saltwater, but he never thought her more beautiful until that moment. He didn't have time to respond before she closed the distance between them and ravished his mouth with hers. She tasted like the depths of the ocean and home. He led her to the seal skin cot while continuing to kiss her. The backs of her legs hit the cot, and she sat down clumsily while he stood between her legs. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he allowed his weathered hands to wander over the contours of her body, his calloused digits pulling at the hem of her homespun dress. He pulled it over her head and laid her back on the cot where he joined her. They slowly discarded each others clothing between sipping kisses and fervent touches until the world faded around them and they were the only ones left. They moved together simultaneously on the cot until they reached their euphoria together, intertwined as one. Belle and Ruailidh burned brightly together, the darkness unable to penetrate them with its piercing talons.

He held Belle's face delicately in his hands as her body quivered around him, drawing every last drop of his essence into her warm center. He could feel their magic entwining like two wild vines as he spilled his seed inside of her, binding their souls together eternally. He rolled over on the cot, pulling her flush against him, his arms a vise about her. He buried his face in her chestnut hair, sighing contentedly.

"I love you, Ruailidh ..." she said softly, stifling back a yawn. He kissed her brow lovingly before wrapping the homespun duvet securely around them.

"And I love you, my Belle Muriel ..." he whispered ardently in her ear. He heard her sigh happily before falling into blissful slumber.

For over two centuries, he'd hidden himself away on the island like a hermit after discovering his ability to do magic, and that he was a hybrid. He'd once been apart of the crew of an infamous pirate named Killian Jones, but fell overboard when the ship was struck by lightning. He expected to die, but the powers inside of him awakened, turning him into a merman, and he'd found himself on the desolate island where he'd begun to strengthen his powers and become the most well versed sorcerer in all of the vast oceans. All merpeople had magic, but not all of them knew how to channel it properly, but he did. He'd always expected to be alone, and never part of some ancient prophecy which foretold him slaying the Nebulous. Many had tried and failed but none of them held a portion of a sea goddess's power inside of them or had the power of true love at their disposal.

Ruailidh had a hard time comprehending how anyone could love him, but Belle did, and he knew it was more than fate which drew him to her vessel that day. The magic within him had called out to hers, fueling her desire to throw herself overboard into the murky depths. It hadn't been the ocean calling out to her … but him. He stared down at his sleeping bride in awe, unable to comprehend such a feat. As he laid down beside her, he felt his eyelids become heavy with sleep, and he allowed peaceful slumber to overtake him, utterly spent from their binding ritual.

~X~

Ruailidh woke up the following morning feeling more rested than he had in ages. He inhaled the deep aroma of his wife's nectarous hair, sighing rapturously. She stirred beneath the duvet and turned to face him. She opened her eyes sleepily, giving him a half lidded gaze and smiling brilliantly.

"Good morning, husband..." she greeted him warmly before snuggling closer to him. He could feel his arousal building from her close proximity. She placed a warm kiss against his mouth, and he reached up to cradle her face in his hands before losing themselves in the throes of passion once more.

They spent the day lying languidly in bed, cherishing their time together before they departed for Nagisa. During the late afternoon, Belle rolled out of bed and stretched loudly, "Where are you going?" he inquired, and she looked over her shoulder giving him a mischievous grin.

"For a swim," she answered simply before diving into the watery hole. Ruailidh chased after her, quickly following. He used his magic to shift into a merman and trailed after her.

"Belle!" he called out into the abandoned cove, but he received no answer. Was she playing some sort of strange game with him? He turned in all directions, scanning the room for her but to no avail. He decided to swim towards the surface and when he reached the top and didn't see her, panic gripped his chest.

"Belle!" he called out her name desperately, swimming towards a deeper portion of the lagoon. He peered down into the bottomless waters, trying to get a glimpse of her but seeing nothing. He murmured a brief spell under his lips as he swam towards the shore and changing back into a man. He walked along the beach and felt the knot growing in his chest release with powerful relief when he spotted her sitting on the shore clutching something.

Her sapphire scales reflected royal blue shards of light in his irises as he approached her. He placed his hand softly on her shoulder, gazing down to look at what she was holding. A white china cup with a blue floral pattern was cradled in her palms. She gazed out into the fathomless oceans emptily, running her fingers gingerly over the rim.

"I only meant to run from you, but I saw this lying on the beach and the moment I picked it up, I knew it was hers," she spoke in almost a whisper.

"Whose?" he inquired, kneeling down beside her.

"My mother's … This was one of the many teacups she received as a housewarming gift upon her nuptials. It was washed ashore, and I know the Nebulous spared this cup to taunt me. It's letting me know they never made it to Astyn. The Nebulous has killed my parents, and I'll make it pay!" she vowed defiantly. He felt strong magic crackle around him when she slammed her fist down onto the sand. Blue lightning sizzled from her fingertips creating a massive black line against the burnt shoreline.

He shuddered as the spell crackled across the embankment, tasting a tinge of his magic in the mix. The binding ritual had intertwined their abilities.

"Belle..." he uttered her name lightly, calling her back to him. She fixated her gaze on his, electric blue waves flashing behind her eyes from the power building inside of her.

"Ruail, I'm not going to stay here a minute longer with the Nebulous out there destroying lives. I'm ready to fight it, and I know I'm strong enough to defeat it with our combined powers. Are you with me or not?" she snarled with fierce determination.

"Yes, but not without taking the proper measures … You're grieving over the loss of your parents, Belle, and I don't want those emotions to lead you astray by believing you're invincible. The Nebulous has been sowing corruption for more than a century, and I know you want to avenge your family, but we must do things properly," he cautioned, and she nodded with tears stinging her eyes.

He led her back towards the lagoon and lowered himself into the water before shifting back into a merman. They swam back to the cave room, reverting back into their human forms. Belle slipped into one of her homespun dresses before plopping down on the cot. He pulled on his trousers and joined her.

"What do you propose, Ruailidh? You're schooled in the history of the Nebulous and even with my returned memories, I still know so little about it." She sighed, running her fingers over the porcelain cup, trying to divert her mind away from her grief.

He wrapped his arms loosely around her torso and pulled her against his chest, "I know the darkness is controlled by Vershalda, and if we could get to the medial point and find her, then we might be able to destroy the Nebulous completely. The key to destroying it I believe is vanquishing Vershalda, but that would mean absurdly dashing right into it. We could be consumed and our plans might fail," he forewarned, but she shook her head indifferently.

"I will do whatever it takes to annihilate the darkness even if it costs me my own life," she asserted, and he respired deeply.

"Then I pledge to do the same, my Belle Muriel," he promised, cupping her cheek gently in his hand.

"If we don't try ... then we've already failed," she supplied, leaning into his touch.

"We won't fail. True love will prevail," he reassured her, trying desperately to believe his declaration.

"Tonight we storm the tides!" she declared tempestuously, and he could feel the magic germinating between them, ready to burst at the seams. He held the barrage of magic back with his cognizance, afraid it would detonate within the cave and blow them into oblivion.

"Save that tenacity for the Nebulous," he added, and she fell back into his arms, relaxing briefly, her heartbeat abating as he stroked her chestnut locks in a soothing manner. He whispered a scad of protection spells over them because he knew it would take an abundance of power to break through the Nebulous without being scathed. The spells became more effortless as he channeled a portion of her magic with his. As their powers intertwined, he felt his senses heighten as he absorbed her powers which tasted of an ancient alchemy. Mincing their magic together made something deep within him believe they had a chance of eradicating the darkness completely.

~X~

They set out during the dead of night when the Nebulous would be at its peak. The darkness was more prevalent at night and more likely to consume its unsuspecting hosts whether it be a school of fish or a band of sailors. The darkness spared no one. The sea was calm, and Belle and Ruailidh swam close together with the barricade of protection spells enclosed around them. She wore the conch shell around her neck for added protection. Belle clutched his hand tightly, pausing briefly to stare out into the vast darkness.

"I can sense its presence," she spoke ominously, and Ruailidh swallowed back the hard lump forming in his throat.

"What do you mean?" he inquired cautiously, fearful of the darkness creeping up on them unexpectedly, and consuming them.

"Ruailidh, I sense we're already inside of the Nebulous," she whispered softly, scanning the area but seeing nothing.

"How is that possible Belle? The Nebulous is impossible to penetrate!" he exclaimed, raking his fingers through his hair timorously.

"Maybe it wanted us to believe it wasn't or perhaps it's been looking for a challenge..." she spoke with realization, her heart beginning to hammer in her chest with trepidation.

"We have to finish what we came here to start, Ruailidh, whether we live or die," she declared boldly, clenching her hand in his, hardening her gaze towards the encroaching darkness.

"Believe in our true love, Ruailidh … It can conquer the darkest of all magic," she reassured him, and he squeezed her hand in affirmation without uttering a word. He watched as the Nebulous with its cloudy jaundice eyes lashed out its tendrils of darkness and attempted to wrap them around the pair.

"Let's combine our powers, Ruailidh," she suggested, focusing all of her efforts on channeling her magic. He could feel his hand burning white hot with the purity of her light. He noticed the conch shell was glowing an ethereal blue, and he could sense Ursula's ancient powers blending with hers. He fused his own magic with hers until the last drop was extracted from him. They sent an explosive beam towards the vile creation.

Power whooshed out of them, generating a barrier of brilliant light which blanketed itself over the insurmountable darkness. The light mirrored the freshly fallen snow over a deadened landscape, symbolizing rebirth and renewal.

Ruailidh continued to hold Belle's hand and release beams of power towards the Nebulous who still vied for control. "It's trying to push back!" he cried, but she didn't answer him. She fixated her gaze on something unseen before breaking the shell in her hands, releasing a wave of power a thousand times stronger than anything he was capable of. He heard the most horrendous cry he'd ever heard from the wounded entity, and he felt the water begin to pull them forward. He gasped in horror at the swirling black vortex several feet away pulling them at a rapid pace towards it.

"We need to swim away and try to escape it!" he bellowed, but Belle only stared at the swirling vortex as if she hadn't heard him at all. He didn't give her time to respond before he grabbed onto her hand and pulled her forward. Deep down he knew the Nebulous was concaving into itself, and they would be crushed if they didn't find a way out quickly.

He swam hard against the current until he felt his muscles giving out. He glanced back at Belle with a glazed look in her eyes. She wasn't making any attempt at all of being free, but he wouldn't let her perish. He would save her even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

The harder he swam the more difficult it became to escape the gravitational pull of the decaying Nebulous. He dodged around several horrendous sea monsters being pulled into the swirling vortex until he saw a flicker of light amongst the ocean of darkness. He swam towards it with all of the strength he could muster until everything faded around him.

~X~

Ruailidh wasn't sure if he was dead, living, or caught somewhere in between. He hazily opened his eyes to see the cave room. Had it all been a dream? He attempted to sit up, but groaned in agony when he did. Pain radiated throughout his chest and legs. He took deep shallow breaths as he attempted to still the pain.

"Shh! Drink this!" he heard an angelic voice somewhere in the distance. His heart leapt in relief the moment his eyes fell upon her.

"Belle!" he exclaimed hoarsely, reaching out to her. She took his hand in hers, running her fingers soothingly over his cracked flesh.

"I'm here, Ruail." she reassured him as she placed her mother's chipped cup to his lips, coaxing him to drink. He swallowed back the liquid greedily, feeling his ligaments become heavy as the brew cascaded gently down the back of his throat.

"Did we win?" he managed to squeak out before slumber overtook him.

"Yes, we were victorious," she crooned, and her final words made his slumber come much easier since he knew they'd triumphantly slain the Nebulous while managing to survive. His slew of queries dissolved as he slipped into a dreamless state.

Ruailidh slipped in and out of consciousness for over a week. He would wake up but only long enough for Belle to slip him some more of her herbal elixir sending him spiraling into unconsciousness. On the sixth day, he arose from his coma with a renewed strength.

He attempted to sit up, and noticed his bandages were gone and he was able to move. He threw him legs over the side of the cot, steadying his weak joints from giving out beneath him. He scanned the room but saw no trace of her. He moved towards the watery hole in the floor and decided to test his ability to swim. He eased himself down into the pool and whispered the simple incantation. He felt his tail take form and dove down deep into the water. He looked up and noted the sunshine reflecting off the cave walls and surmised it was still daytime.

He swam towards the surface and spotted her lounging on the flat rock. She was staring absentmindedly into the distance when he reached her. He maneuvered himself onto the rock to lay beside her. She didn't acknowledge his presence, but only kept staring out into the vast horizon.

"It was all a lie, Ruail. All of it was only meant me lure me towards the darkness. The prophecy was concocted," she scoffed, melancholy flashing in her oceanic irises.

"What do you mean it was all a lie? We slayed the darkness!" he exclaimed as confusion clouded his cognition.

"We did slay the darkness, but the conch shell misled me into believing Nagisa still existed. The only truth behind it is I'm King Triton's eighth daughter and the lone survivor of Nagisa's fall. The Nebulous consumed our entire kingdom and the only thing that saved me was my curiosity which led me away from the kingdom and towards the coral reef. I enjoyed going there to play hide and seek with my friends. On that day they didn't show up because the darkness had already consumed them. Ursula rescued me and made it look like I was a shipwreck survivor, ensuring I wound up in the path of the merchant's ship. When I found the shell, the memories placed inside it had been tweaked because Ursula knew I wouldn't go through with my quest unless she tricked me into it. What sane person would fight an ancient dark entity if they had nothing left to go back to in the first place? She caused me to risk our lives for naught! The people of Nagisa are all dead except for you and I, and maybe a sparse few who managed to escape and may have sought shelter on uninhabited islands like this one. When the shell broke it revealed my true memories. I was too paralyzed to go forward at that point, and if it weren't for you pushing me onward, I would have sacrificed myself to the darkness. You saved us both, Ruailidh," she explained, curling up beside him.

"Belle, I'm so sorry … What happened after we broke through the darkness?" he inquired, carding his fingers through her chestnut tresses absently.

"You fainted, and I dragged you back to the island. I used what was left of my expended magic to heal you, and I've been feeding you herbal remedies to help you rest until your healing process was complete," she added, and he kissed her brow lightly, unable to formulate a response.

She'd been misled into believing not only one but two lies her entire life. She had no one to return to in either place. "Belle, I cannot imagine how you must feel about any of this. I just want you to realize I'm here for you no matter what you decide to do," he assured, running his hand down her back soothingly.

"I want to grow old with you and start a life together whether it be here or out there," she replied pointing towards the horizon.

"I assure you that whatever you wish for is yours," he vowed, peppering kisses along her shoulder blade.

"Ruailidh, I have a question ..." she intoned, causing him to halt the pleasurable sensations flowing through her body.

"What is it, my Belle Muriel?" he inclined, and the way he said her name in his thick brogue made heat pool in her belly.

"Have you ever crossed paths with any other merpeople?" she asked, and he sighed pulling her firmly against him.

"Purebloods are practically nonexistent, and hybrids who know of their ancient origins usually bury their magic until they forget about it. They're scattered all over the world and there are few who wholly embrace it. I found out I was a merman accidentally when I was thrown overboard many years ago and didn't perish," he illuminated, and she listened intently.

"Would you rather live as regular man or a merman?" she inquired as he drew soothing circles on her arms with his thumbs in concentration.

"I wouldn't care which it was as long as we could be together," he remarked, and she smiled leaning closer to him.

"My parents and I were journeying to Astyn before I came here so I could attend the university. I've fully embraced my life as a mermaid, but after living in the human realm for so long, I've decided I would like to continue my life as one," she revealed, and he blinked, unsure if he'd heard her correctly.

"Are you saying you want to be human again permanently?" he asked with a dazed look in his eyes.

"Yes … I desire to build a normal life for myself. I want to see the world and fulfill my dream of becoming a philosopher. Will you join me, Ruailidh ?" she queried, searching his eyes for affirmation.

"I would go anywhere with you Belle," he assured her before pressing his lips against hers to seal the deal.

Belle and Ruailidh journeyed to Astyn shortly after defeating the Nebulous to begin their lives anew. Ruailidh found his place at the University by becoming a history professor, and Belle fulfilled her dream of becoming a philosopher. After she finished her degree, they traveled to other realms with the use of their magic but something began to ache in her heart she couldn't quite point out. She thirsted for adventure and she'd had it, but something deep inside her desired to return to the cave they'd inhabited before.

Ruailidh hadn't objected to her request to move back to the island. He longed for a quiet life of normalcy with his wife after living in the fast paced world they'd familiarized themselves with the past few years. They returned to the island but things started to change after their long absence. Others somehow sensed the magic of the island and became allured by it.

The first person to end up on the island was a fisherman named Graham whose boat had capsized near the tropical paradise. He hadn't drowned, but had a lot of questions about his newly formed bronze tail. Others appeared with similar stories about being shipwrecked and eventually the whole island began to populate, and Belle realized the prophecy wasn't all a fallacy.

It had stated others would return to Nagisa after the Nebulous was defeated. Nagisa had been destroyed years ago, but she realized she carried the remnants of the kingdom inside of her. She was Nagisa and Nagisa was her. The merpeople desired a home, and the island wasn't going to contain them as they continued to arrive in droves, so she traded her legs for fins and organized a group of merpeople to help her rebuild the lost city.

When it was complete, all of them returned to Nagisa to live out the rest of their days as was intended from the beginning. Belle Muriel fulfilled her role as their queen with her faithful husband alongside her, and they lived happily ever after.


End file.
